Over the past couple years my local group has been somewhat stagnant, doing the same routes for our spring series every year. The RBA has been unresponsive to requests for volunteering and work on new routes, etc. He seems to be less enthusiastic and experienced than most of us would like. There has been talk about having an alternative spring series here in our region, and it would be quite easy for my club to host. As enthusiastic as I am about making things better, under RUSA rules I cannot be an RBA right now, though it is something I would like to do in the future. We are not the local randonneuring club, but if my local club wanted to host a spring brevet series, or say, a second Fall series, can the president submit plans to ACP and RUSA and just do it, or do we have to get the ok from our RBA? My club is registered with RUSA/ACP. IMO, considering PBP is coming up soon, I would like so see more activity like we did with our previous RBA.

Homeyba

09-10-13 06:48 PM

How long ago did the RBA change? It's been a while since I did a brevet in SD but the RBA was very experienced. SD has a long history of randoneuring. Well back into the late 70's that I know about. What about running up north to do a PCH randoneurs ride? They have some really good routes.

unterhausen

09-10-13 07:35 PM

if you look at the list of RBA's, some of them are pretty close to each other. I dunno how RUSA handles that

I would put together some permanents

robertkat

09-10-13 08:45 PM

I've actually started doing some brevets with PCH. They are great. It's probably been in the last 2 years that things have slowed up around here. I know that in 2011, we almost didn't have a series. It's mainly that people are tired of doing the same thing all the time. Plus there's the gossip and all. But aside, I think it may be that we were having a slump. I know people get busy. He's actually now asking people for input and help on routes, so things might be looking up. I know that getting volunteers to work is tough. I may have spoken to soon, so we'll see. But yes, I personally have several routes that will be submitted for permanents very soon.

StephenH

09-10-13 08:51 PM

Here in the Dallas area, we have quite a few events going on anyway. However, there are some of the higher-mileage riders that will also make every brevet in Austin, in Houston, and some of them in West Texas (Dallas, Houston, and Austin coordinate their schedules so they don't have conflicting brevets). With that in mind, if you've got another club or two within 250 miles or so, you can broaden your horizons considerably without changing how things are done locally.

On occasion, I have bright ideas about things ought to be done in the local club, and, upon suggesting them, find they have been tried in the past with negative results.

I would suggest maybe contacting the RBA Liason with RUSA and get their input on the desirability of adding another club or additional rides in the area.

Otherwise, Unterhausen has an idea with putting together some permanents. Here locally, one of us will be hosting a permanent pretty much every Saturday, and oftentimes Sundays as well, so you can pretty much ride a 200k with other people ever weekend.

thebulls

09-11-13 09:20 AM

San Diego has a pretty full schedule. Brevet every month? Check. SR series? Check. 1000km? Check. So I'm not quite sure what more you want the RBA to be doing. Designing new routes is very time intensive. Even if someone else is designing the new route, it's ultimately up to the RBA to double-check (and ideally pre-ride) the route to make sure that it is acceptable before submitting it for RUSA approval and then using it for a brevet. So there's still going to be a fair amount of RBA time involved in any new route, regardless of who does the initial design.

If you get some permanents going and people seem to like them (ideally including the RBA), then that might form a good basis for a new brevet route. Getting a permanent approved as a brevet is certainly easier than getting a new route approved as a brevet from scratch.